"That was a pretty good one," Sophia said. "Well worth all the setup."

"Yeah," Emma agreed. "That'll show what kind of person Taylor is!"

"Um," Madison began.

The other two looked at her.

"What is it?" Sophia asked.

"Well…" Madison said, a bit nervously. "Don't you guys already know?"

She waved her hand vaguely in the direction of Winslow High – now empty, of course, because it had been about two hours since school had let out. "Because, you know, she was in there for a while, right? And you let her out… I know it had to be one of you who has her locker combination."

"You're speaking like we let her out," Emma said, nastily. "Do you think she deserves to be let out?"

"I think if she isn't let out then she might end up dead or something," Madison said, quickly. "And if that happens then they might, you know, actually care. Or something."

"Don't worry about that," Emma said.

"Yeah, we'll be fine," Sophia agreed. "But if you're so bothered by it, maybe you can leave an anonymous tip to the janitor or something. They'll let her out, or they won't… but it won't be us who made that decision."

She snorted. "And we'll see what Hebert is made of. I don't think it's likely she'll be worth much, though."

"I still-" Madison said, then there was an enormous crash sound that echoed around the whole of the broadwalk and made her jump.

"What the fuck was that?" Emma asked, as Sophia darted to her feet. "Some kind of cape fight?"

"Too big for a normal one," Sophia said. "The sound wasn't right, it'd have to be really loud and from a really… long… way away…?"

Her voice trailed off, as she saw a massive shape rearing up over in the same direction Madison had been pointing.

A pair of shining golden wings cupped the air, then hammered downwards, and in moments there was a fuck-off colossal dragon flying through the air over Brockton Bay.

"What… the fuck," Madison breathed. "What cape is that? Is that Lung?"

"Not unless he's been in a big fight for half an hour and nobody's told me!" Sophia snapped. "And who would he have been fighting, Behemoth?"

"Then what is that?" Emma asked, her voice wavering, then firming up as Sophia glanced at her. "I mean, it's got to be a cape, hasn't it?"

"I've never heard of one that big-" Madison tried, her voice definitely trembling.

The huge, golden dragon was circling, then it rolled a wing and plunged towards the girls with shocking suddenness. People around them screamed and tried to run away, but Sophia stood rooted to the spot – caught between defiance and fear and not wanting to give an inch against something that screamed predator to every single part of her being.

It was kind of fucking awesome, if you could ignore the fact that it looked like it could chew up Hookwolf and spit him out in a puddle of metal. But the sheer presence the thing had was insane, reducing Sophia's nerves to water, like standing next to that prissy bitch Glory Girl but fifty times stronger.

It was landing in front of them.

It was landing in front of them, paws thumping into the ground and wings half-unfurled and bringing a massive head closer to inspect them.

"Sophia Hess," the dragon said, in a voice like gilded steel. "Madison Clemens. Emma…"

That voice was familiar.

Sophia knew that voice, but it wasn't whining or weak like before. Now it was the purest expression of strength and control she'd ever heard… but it was the same voice.

The same voice.

This was Taylor. How the fuck?

"You've all done terrible things," the golden dragon said. "To me, mostly. To others, too… and I don't know why you do them. Why you think it's something worth doing. But I want you to know something. All three of you."

Emma made a noise like mimblewimble, and was going pale. Madison looked like she was going to pass out on the spot.

Sophia felt like, for once, she wouldn't mind joining her.

"Listen carefully," the dragon – Taylor – Taylor said, looking each of them in the eye, one by one. "I don't know all the details of what just happened, yet. This is as new to me as it is to you. But I know I can breathe fire. I know I'm strong. I know that I could absolutely get revenge on you for everything you've done."

She smiled. "And I'm not going to. Because I forgive you for it. Because you hurt me, but I'm not going to let it define who I am… and because what all of you need is help. Emma… please, for the sake of my mother if not for me. Get some."

Then she turned, wings unfurling and raising, and took off with a wind-hammer that raised a storm of grit from the road.

Quietly, Sophia wondered if the funny tingling sensation in the back of her head was her world collapsing, or if she'd just fallen hopelessly in love.

Could be both.

AN:

This time, Taylor's powerset is: Gold Dragon, from Pathfinder WOTR.

A sort of companion piece to Azataylor, in a way.